Fate of 2015 weddings, events at the JW Marriott Ihilani resort up in the air

Management at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa has contacted couples who were planning to hold their weddings at the hotel in 2015, as well as organizations that had scheduled meetings there for next year, but have not offered many details on what will happen after the hotel closes for a yearlong renovation before reopening under a different brand.

Wedding coordinator Kelly Sugano, owner of A Perfect Day, said representatives from the Ihilani have contacted clients who schedule weddings in 2015, and have contacted different venues to help accommodate them.

The organizers for Strandness Symposium and Vascular Care 2015, which was scheduled to take place from Feb. 15-19 at the resort, have been notified by the hotel and was working with them to find a new location. However, a spokeswoman for the event said it was still too early to provide details on where the event will be held.

A standardized protocol on outreach has not been determined and it is unknown if clients who reserved space for an event in 2015 will be refunded or assisted in relocating. Marriott Hawaii officials declined to comment for this story.

Sugano said the hotel closing will not have a significant effect on her wedding planning business because people who were going to get married will still get married, but she thinks some destination wedding couples may be affected.

“One of my clients said the reason why there were coming to Hawaii was to get married at the Ihilani, because it meant something to them,” Sugano said. “If that’s not available, they may not longer be getting married in Hawaii. So, there are going to be examples like that, but most people, we can help them find other options.”

Sugano has reached out to the Ihilani because she understands that the front staff is taking the brunt of phone calls from angry brides and grooms.

“Of course, it’s [the couples’] right to be upset because of the situation, so I reached out to [the Ihilani] and told them that any couples out there who would like help to find a new venue, I’d be happy to help them and wouldn’t charge the for it,” she said. “I know the situation is really sensitive and nobody would have done this purposely to anybody. … [The Ihilani staff] feels horrible knowing the situation they’re putting these people in, and also dealing with possibly not have a job.”

Other events that have been publicized include Hawaii Food Industry Association’s annual conference, scheduled for June 11-14, and High Risk Emergency Medicine Hawaii continuing education course presented by the Department of Emergency Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital and University of California, San Francisco, slated for Feb. 11-15. Neither organization responded to PBN’s requests for comments.